Governor



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. ST OMBS.

G0vern0r.. NO. 242,393. Patented May 31,1881.

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(NoModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. H. STOMBS. Governor. No. 242,393. Patented May 31,1881.

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- UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrca.

JOSEPH H. STOMBS, OF LA OROSSE, WISCONSIN.

GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 242,393, dated May 31, 1881.

Application filed April 6, 1881.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrrr H. S'roMBs, a citizen of the United States, residing at La Crosse, in the county of La Grosse and State of Wisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Governors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to that class of governors for regulating the flow of steam, water, or gases to motors or engines of various kinds in which a supplementary or auxiliary Weight is used in connection with the customary governor-balls, said auxiliary weight ongaging with the stem of the governor-valve and serving as a means for controlling the action of said valve, so as to make it more sensitive, and enabling the motor to be run with a less variation of speed than is possible with governors used without said auxiliary weight.

The invention consists in the provision of a cylindrical shell, the body whereof is made of glass or metal, or glass and metal, and is provided with detachable end heads having a central tube, which passes through the cylindrical shell and receives the stem or long arm of a lever fulcrumed in a block or support carried by the base-plate of the governor-frame. The cylinder is adj ustably connected with said lever, and receives a suitable liquid which fills one-half of said cylinder. The short arm of the lever engages with the valve-stem, or with the coupling which connects said valvestem with the governor-stem. The lever has a bottom notch, which engages with a knifeedged fulcrum, and a conical cavity in its top surface, which receives a pointed set-screw passing through the top of the fulcrumed block, for the purpose of preventing said lever from becoming unshipped from its bearin The invention further consists in means for instantaneously stopping the flow of steam, gas, or liquids to the motor when the belts or other power-transmitting devices used break or become uushipped, said means for closing the valve comprising a valve-stem capable of moving independently of the governor-balls, and having wedge-shaped plates, one of which engages with the lever carrying the adjustable regulating-weight, while the other plate serves to indicate the position of the plate adapted to engage with said lever. The action of the devices is such that the regulating-weight is held (No model.)

lating-weigh t, made partly of glass, partly of metal. Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the governor-stem, valve-rod, and wedge-shaped plates,

adapted to form the connection with the fulcrumed lever carrying the regulatingweight.

The letter A designates the valve casing or chamber, which contains the customary governor-valve, B, the rod 0 of which is connected with the governor-stem D by means of a coupling-sleeve, E. The frame or stand F of the governor has a base-plate, G, which is sup' ported upon a top plate of the valve-casing, and is connected therewith by means of a screwpost, H, passing through both plates, and secured by a jam or lock nut, I, and can be adjusted to bring the lever at right an gle to val vestem when set. The screw-post H is formed with a block or head, J, having an aperture, which is so shaped as to form a knife-edge bearing, K, for a horizontal lever, L. Said lever has a groove, 1, in its under side, which receives the knife-edge bearing K, and it is also formed with an inverted conical recess, m, in its upper surface. This recess receives the pointed end of a screw, a, which is passed through the top of the block or head J, and serves to prevent the lever from being disengaged, while not interfering with the free oscillation thereof. The long arm of the lever Lis made cylindrical and passes through a correspondingly-shaped tube, M, centrally located within a cylindrical shell or casing, N. Said shell or cylinder is composed of metal or glass, or both combined, forming a transparent body portion, 0, and two attachable and detachable end heads or caps, P P. The head P carries the tube M, the same generally forming an integral part thereof, and the other head, P, receives the screw-threaded end of said tube, so as to firmly connect the various parts in a liquid-tight manner. The long arm of the lever L extends entirely through the eylindrical shell, and the latter is adjustably secured to said arm by means of a set-screw, p, which passes through the end cap, P.

The body 0 of the cylinder may be made entirely of glass, or of metal, as already stated, or it may be formed of a glass cylinder inclosed in a skeleton metal shell. The latter construction is preferred, as the cylinder is less liable to break than if made entirely of glass.

An opening, q, made in the center of the cylinder serves as an orifice for partly filling the cylinder with a liquid, such as mercury, alcohol, or other liquid not liable to eongeal or evaporate. In filling the cylinder the same is. placed in an upright position, and the liquid is introduced untilit begins to tlow through the opening q. The latter is then closed by means of a suitable plug or stopper, 1, and the requisite amount of liquid is retained in the cylinder.

The governor-stem D carries the customary bevel spur-wheel, Q,into which meshes a bevelwheel, It, on the governor drivingshaft S. The stem D is loosely fitted in an encircling sleeve, T, which receives the inner ends of the arms U, carrying the governor-balls V.

The collar \V, secured to the stem D below the sleeve T, serves to form a temporary connection between the governor-balls and the stem D when said balls are thrown in an outward direction by centrifugal force, tending to close the valve B. The governor-stem D is surmounted by a ball or weight, X, the object of which is to cause the stem D to slide through the frame and spur-wheel Q when the governor-balls are caused to drop by reason of the breakage or stoppage of the driving mechanism. It necessarily follows that the downward movement of the stem D, facilitated by the weight carried thereby, will cause the governor-valve to close for instantaneously arresting the flow of steam, fluid, or gas to the engine.

The sleeve E, which serves to connect the valve-rod with the governor-stem, has a transverse opening, through which is passed a pin or rod, Y, carrying wed geshaped plates or blocks Z Z at its ends. The face of the sleeve E adjoining the end of thelever L has a recess, 6 which forms a seat for the wedge-shaped plate Z. The other plate, Z, subserves no function, except to indicate to the engineer the position of the plate Z. The rod or pin Y is encircled by a spiral spring, g, which serves to hold the plate Z in firm contact with the sleeve E.

It will be apparent that when the thin end of the plate Z is turned in a downward direction the end of the lever L will remain engaged therewith during the ordinary movements of the governor-balls; but when the latter have assumed their lowest position the end of the lever will glide off from the plate Z, so as to disengage it from the valve and govern- 0r stems, which will permit the valve to close by means of the independently-niovable governor-stem. By pressing on the spring end of the rod or pin Y until the opposite face or end of the same is clear of the coiiplingsleeve E, and with the thumb and finger turning the device to the right until the thick edge of the plate Z is down, the parts mentioned are so set that the lever cannot become disengaged from the valve and governor stems. The lever is only to be used in this last-described manner when the motor is being shut down. \Vhen the stop-motion is on, which is the case when the thin ends of the plates Z Z face in a downward direction, the regulator or weighted lever will be unshipped in the manner already described, and in dropping down it falls upon a spring, 13 thereby breaking the fall of said lever. Said spring is fitted on the screw-post II, and is held in position by the lock or jam nut I.

In setting my deviceI place the cylinder and lever at right angles to the valve-stem at the speed the engine or motor is required to run to perform a certain amount of work, and as the load on the motor or engine is varied the liquid in the regulator, by the laws of gravitation, changes the position of the weight on the lever, thereby causing the valve to open and close quickly.

\Vhat I claim is-- 1. In a governor, a shell for containing a fluid, provided with heads, and a tube arranged within the shell and connected with the heads, in combination with a lever extending through the tube within the shell and l'ulcrumed on the governor-frame, and devices for connecting the end of the lever with the valve-stem of the governor, substantially as described.

2. The weighted independently movable governor-stem, the coupling-sleeve having adjustable wedge-shaped plates, in combination with the weighted governor-valve, the lever, and the governor-balls, substantially as herein set forth.

3. In a governor, the combination, with a shell for containing a fluid, and a lever extending longitudinally through the shell and connected therewith, of an upright constructed with an open head provided with knife-edge bearings, upon which the lever carrying the fluid-shell is fulcrumed, and devices for detachably connecting the inner end of the lever with the valve-stem of the governor below the governor-balls, substantially as described.

4. The spring-encircled stem or red having wedged-shaped plates, in combination with the coupling-sleeve of the valve and governor stems, and the weighted lever and the governor device, as herein set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH H. STOMBS.

\Vitnesses J. B. WILLIAMS, J. A. HAZARD. 

